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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 20, 2011 12:31:31 GMT -5
I've been hacking away at this big old chunk for about a week now, off and on, and I have searched through the RTH agate index files, and my new Audobon Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals, and I still don't know what to call it. It's a pretty, mottled, semi-translucent, sky-blue color and I think it will make nice cabs, even though it has several fractures that run right through the rock. Most of the slabs I've cut broke into 2 or 3 pieces after cutting. Before cutting, I had thought it was some kind of blue quartz, but I don't think it's hard enough to be considered as quartz. I can easily scrape it with my pocketknife and produce a little mound of white dust. Anyway, here it is. If anybody can ID it, I would appreciate it. This is one of the 2 big blocks that I have left, both of which are glued to a piece of 2X2 lumber for clamping into the vise. Here is a small sampling of the slices I've made so far: A closer look at one of the cut ends of the rock And a closer look at the only slab that hasn't yet broken apart Hope y'all can come up with a name for this stuff! Thaniks, Tom
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Post by deb193redux on Mar 20, 2011 20:26:21 GMT -5
i think that wil continue to break along the visible fracture lines.
any idea how hard it is?
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 20, 2011 22:48:06 GMT -5
As near as I can tell, it seems to be about a MOH's 4 - 4.5. I can scrape a layer off it with my old pocketknife. The resulting pile of dust comes out white. I haven't had an opportunity yet to try to cab any of it - that will come in a few days, I hope. And yes, it does break along the fracture lines, with the least amount of pressure.
Tom
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stefan
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2005
Posts: 14,113
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Post by stefan on Mar 21, 2011 8:25:29 GMT -5
Massive flourite? I had something like that (only grey in color). It cabbed ok unless it got warm- then it just crumbled. Your material is a very nice shade of blue.
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dbrealityrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2010
Posts: 1,084
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Post by dbrealityrocks on Mar 21, 2011 11:37:22 GMT -5
Sure loooks like Angelite to me!!
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 21, 2011 18:44:57 GMT -5
ANGELITE! By criminey, I think that's it! I google'd angelite and looked at the images, and that's exactly what it looks like. And angelite is supposed to be MOH's 3.5, which also fits. THANKS!
Tom
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Post by Toad on Mar 21, 2011 19:03:57 GMT -5
Nice color. Good luck cabbing
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 21, 2011 19:10:23 GMT -5
I thought angelite too but brown rind looks wrong. I have a couple hundred lbs. and all has a chalky white rind. You might try acid testing. If it fizzes it could be a calcite.
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Post by tkrueger3 on Mar 21, 2011 22:21:09 GMT -5
John, I did drop some vinegar on a little piece of it yesterday, and it just sat there and laughed at me - no fizzes at all. I was a little surprised, but I guess it is what it is. Whatever its name is, I like it, even though it seems a bit fragile.
Sorry I missed you at the show - I saw you were with a customer, so I didn't want to interrupt you. Then later, I pooped out and we left without going back to your booth. I did want to ask you about the 10" trimming machine you had around close to the back side - I never saw anything quite like it. I was wondering if it was water-cooled or oil.
Thanks, Tom
Oh, PS - the rind on this stuff came out golden-tan looking in the pics, but it's really not - it's just a couple shades off of white. I think I had the white balance set wrong on the camera. I'm not that good of a photog, anyway! LOL!
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Post by johnjsgems on Mar 22, 2011 7:38:04 GMT -5
My angelite from Peru is chalky white outside. Also outside is rounded nodules like howlite. I'm staying in San Antonio area for at least 10 days if you want to get together some time.
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